[ oh, and just that reaction alone tells him that it's not going to be anything good, just as much as it makes him want to say something, immediately — that junpei doesn't have to be embarrassed by whatever it is... because, really, it's easy to forget about it, but charles has pretty much seen it all, not to mention that he'd never, ever judge junpei for, hm, anything.

and so he listens — quiet and serious, watching junpei carefully, even as he's looking at somewhere else with an unfocused gaze... and it's probably a good thing, because charles is pretty sure his expression is betraying how badly his heart is breaking right now, how the dark, depressing reality of what must have been junpei's everyday life is splintering the shards that he's not quite put together after the whole fifteen-ways-of-dying spiel —

this time, the tears are quieter, not sobs but simply there, falling from the corners of his eyes as he closes them for a moment before he just pulls junpei closer into a hug, cradles him against his chest and just breathes. ]

I'm sorry, [ he says eventually, with a quiet desperation, ] I'm so sorry you had to go through that alone. It's not fair — what happened to all those people, what happened to your coworkers... so many people die who don't deserve it at all, and no one gives a shit. [ he pulls back enough to move his hand and press his palm against junpei's cheek, gently. ] I'm sorry you had to go through that, love, but don't — don't be embarrassed, yeah? You did what you could to get through what no one bloody should. And I'm glad you did make it through.